Alteration of clonal profile II. Studies on the capacity of BALB/c splenic B cells to perpetuate responsiveness to phosphorylcholine and T15 idiotypic dominance

(CBA/N × BALB/c)F₁ hybrid male mice are unable to mount anti-phosphorylcholine (PC) plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses because they carry the CBA/N X-linked immune defect of B lymphocyte differentiation. Transplantation of splenic B cells from BALB/c mice restores responsiveness to thymus-dependent and thymus-independent PC antigens up to 8 months after cell transfer. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrate the donor origin of PFC generated in reconstituted (CBA/N × BALB/c)F₁ mice. Although responsiveness to PC is restored permanently, a shift in idiotype expression that leads to the loss of T 15 idiotypic dominance 3 months after cell transfer can be detected. This shift originates from Ig^? cells because Ig⁺ splenic cells purified in a fluorescence-activated cell sorter maintain T15 dominance. Therefore, the Ig⁺ cells have a remarkable capacity to maintain responsiveness to antigens and can perpetuate idiotypic dominance if the stem cell pool is removed.     

Y-STR profiling in two Afghanistan populations

Afghanistan's unique geostrategic position in Eurasia has historically attracted commerce, conflict and conquest to the region. It was also an important stop along the Silk Road, connecting the far eastern civilizations with the western world. Nevertheless, limited genetic studies have been performed in Afghan populations. In this study, 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci were typed to evaluate their forensic and population genetic applications in 189 unrelated Afghan males geographically partitioned along the Hindu Kush Mountain range into north (N=44) and south (N=145) populations. North Afghanistan (0.9734, 0.9905) exhibits higher haplotype diversity than south Afghanistan (0.9408, 0.9813) at both the minimal 9-loci and 17-loci Yfiler haplotypes, respectively. The overall haplotype diversity for both Afghan populations at 17 Y-STR loci is 0.9850 and the corresponding value for the minimal 9-loci haplotypes is 0.9487. A query using of the most frequent Afghan Yfiler haplotype (7.98%) against the worldwide Y-STR haplotype reference database (YHRD) returned no profile match, indicating a high power of discrimination with 17 Y-STR loci. A median-joining network based on 15 Y-STR loci displays limited haplotype sharing between the two Afghan populations, possibly due to the Hindu Kush Mountain range serving as a natural barrier to gene flow between the two regions.     

Parent–child relationships and child executive functioning at school entry: the importance of fathers

This study aimed to examine the unique and interactive contributions of the quality of mothers’ and fathers’ relationships with their toddlers to the prediction of children’s subsequent executive functioning (EF). The sample included 46 low-risk middle-class families. The quality of mother–child and father–child interactions was assessed independently during separate interactive sequences at 18 months. Child EF problems were reported by teachers in kindergarten. The results indicated that only father–child interactions made a unique contribution to the prediction of children’s EF, and no interaction effect was observed. Kindergarteners who benefited from higher quality interactions with their fathers in toddlerhood were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results appeared to be somewhat more pronounced in father–son than father–daughter dyads. Overall, the results suggest that fathering and father–child relationships may deserve more empirical attention than they have received thus far in the EF literature.     

Blunted gamma delta T-lymphocyte response in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by an excessive inflammatory response to inhaled particles, mostly tobacco smoking. Although inflammation is present in all smokers, only a percentage of them develop COPD. T-lymphocytes are important effector and regulatory cells that participate actively in the inflammatory response of COPD. They comprise the T-cell receptor (TCR)-alpha beta (CD4+ and CD8+) and TCR-gamma delta T-lymphocytes. The latter represent a small percentage of the total T-cell population, but play a key role in tissue repair and mucosal homeostasis. To investigate TCR-alpha beta (CD4+ and CD8+) and TCR-gamma delta T-lymphocytes in COPD, the present authors determined, by flow cytometry, the distribution of both subpopulations in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained from patients with COPD, smokers with normal lung function and never-smokers. The present study found that: 1) the distribution of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in blood and BAL was similar in all three groups; 2) compared with nonsmokers, gamma delta T-lymphocytes were significantly increased in smokers with preserved lung function; and 3) this response was blunted in patients with COPD. These results highlight a novel, potentially relevant, pathogenic mechanism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.     

Epidermoid carcinoma of the urethra and glans penis: two independent tumors?

A 64 years-old man is treated in our hospital presenting a big tumor in glans penis. During the surgical act, another neoplasm is detected in the urethra. The microscopic study showed a concomintant epidermoid carcinoma of glans penis and urethra with non-affected tissue between both tumors.